Game-counter



(No Model.) 7 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. B. ATKINSON.

GAME COUNTER. No. 433,265. Patent ed July 29, 1890 VE N 70 7 .B fli /(251.302:

1p Afrom/z rs (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. B. ATKINSON.

GAME COUNTER.

N0. 433,265. Patented July 29, 1890. .FW

A WITNESSES;-

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM B. ATKINSON, OF FRANKLIN, KENTUCKY.

GAME-COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,265, dated July 29, 1890.

Application filed January 27, 1890. Serial No. 338,294. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. ATKINSON, of Franklin, in the county of Simpson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game-Counters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved game-counter adapted for keeping the tally of points and games in the playing of billiards and like games; and the invention consists in certain features of construction and novel combinations of parts, as wilibe herein after described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, the casing being removed. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section of the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the construction and operation by which the detentpawls are released from the ratchet-wheels. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating the manner of operating the game-indicating dial.

The apparatus is provided with a main dial A, which is inscribed with two concentric sets of figures A and A starting at-a common radial point and running thence in proper numerical order in reverse directions and entirely around the dial, as shown. In connection with the said sets of numbers A A I provide hands 15 B moving concentrically and registering, respectively, with sets A A of figures, and operating devices by which to advance these hands step by step and in reverse directions around the dial A. It will be seen that these hands move independently,

being supported, the one B on ahollow shaft 0 and the other B on a shaft 0, which is extended through such hollow shaft 0 the said shaft 0' being provided with a pulley D and ratchet-wheel E and the shaft C with a pulley D and a ratchet-wheel E such pulleys and wheels forming parts of step-by-step feeding devices by which the hands may be advanced. Cords D and E connect with and depend from the pulleys D and D and are so arranged as to enable the hands to be properly advanced by drawing upon the said cords. An opening f is formed in the main dial, through which are exposed the figures 011 the game-indicator dial F, the figures on such dial F running from 1 up. This dial F also has pins or projections F arranged for engagement by a projection e on the pulley D connected with the ratchet-wheel E such projection 6 being pivoted and movable, as shown in Fig. 5, so that in the advancing movement of wheel E such projection 6 will engage one of the pins or projections F on dial F, but will slip past such projections F as the wheel E returns to its starting position. A pawl F is arranged to engage the projections F of the dial F and serves as a vdetent to secure such dial as it is advanced different points. This dial F is for the purpose of indicating to the proprietor of the billiard-saloon or of billiard-table or manager or other person controlling the games being played the number of games played, and a cord f extends from the pawl F and is under the control of the proprietor, so that such pawl may be withdrawn by him at will to release the dial and permit it to be returned to starting-point by its actuating-spring F The trip projection e is so arranged as to engage one of the trip projections of the gameindicating dial shortly after the wheel E has started to indicate points in a new game. Usually I arrange the'projection e to engage one of projections f, when the hand B,connected with wheel E passes the sixth point in the set E of figures on the main dial, so that as soon as six points are registeredby the hand 0 the game will be indicated on the dial F, Then as the said wheel E is returned to its starting-point after the game isplayed, its projection 6 will slip past the pins F, and

as it again moves forward in a new game the projection e will again move the dial F one point and register another game, and so on until the full number of games on thedial E has been indicated, when, to prevent the further movement of wheel E from doing any damage, I form the dial F with a projection f, which is presented to the pawl F when dial F has completed its forward mo- 9 tion and is flattened or widened, so that it will only be moved by the movement of wheel E partially past the pawl F so that it will not hold said wheel,but will permit it to turn back. Both wheels E and D and their connected and operated hands are operated alike, the cords D E being connected with the pulleys so they may turn such pulleys and their hands to cause the latter to properly register along the figures on the main dial.

To hold the wheels E E at the different points to which they are advanced, I provide the pawls G G spring-actuated into engagement with their respective wheels and having hammers g to strike the annunciator-bells g. To release these pawls, I provide the bars or rods II H arranged to release said pawls, and also arranged for operation by the cords D and E. By preference these rods II H are pivoted between their ends to the framing, have at one end a part or portion to engage under and lift the pawl and have at their opposite ends an opening through which the cords D or E pass.

In operation it will be seen that so long as the cords D E are pulled straight down they will not affect the pawls G G but by simply drawing such cords outward to one side they will throw the lower ends of their respective rods H or H outward and cause them to release their pawls and permit the springs I I to return the shafts O or C to their starting points.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is l 1. The combination, in a game-counter, of the point-indicating hands, the game-indicator having projections I and a flattened or widened projection f, the stop-pawl F arranged to engage such projections F'f, and the operating-devices arranged to engage projections F f, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, in a game-counter, of the point-indicating hands, the feeding devices for advancing such hands, including a pulley D the game-indicator provided with projections F and flattened projections f, a part e pivoted to the pulley D and the stoppawl F arranged to engage projections F f, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, in a game-counter, of a hand, an operating hand-cord, connections between said cord and hand whereby the former may operate to advance the hand, a ratchet and pawl by which to hold such hand in different points of advancement, and a rod or bar arranged when operated to release the pawl from the ratchet, such-bar being arranged to be engaged and operated by the hand-advancin g cord, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. In a game-counter, the combination of the dial, the concentric independently-operating hands movable in opposite directions around said dial, the shafts supporting said hands, the pulleys and ratchet-wheels connected with said shafts, the operating handcords secured to and depending from the opposite sides of the pulleys, the pawls arranged to engage the ratchet-wheels, and the bars H IRpi votally supported, provided with portions to engage and release the pawls, said bars being arranged to cross each other at a point between their ends and being provided at their lower ends with openings through which the hand-operating cords pass, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, in a game-counter, of a hand, a cord, connections between the cord and hand whereby the movement of the cord may operate to advance the hand, a ratchet and pawl by which to hold such hand at different points of advancement, a rod or bar pivoted between its ends and arranged at one end to engage the pawl and release it from the ratchet, and having at its opposite end an opening for the passage of the hand-advane ing cord, substantially as set forth.

6. The improved game-counter consisting of the main dial having an opening through which to expose the game-indicator and provided with two sets of figures, the game-indicator arranged to expose its figures through the opening in the main dial and having a series of pins orproject-ions, the point-indicating hands, the pulleys and ratchet-wheels secured to each of such hands, the tripping projection supported on one of the pulleys and arranged to engage the pins of the game-indicator, and the operating-cords, all substantially as set forth.

7. In an indicator, the combination of the main dial, the point-indicating hand, the ratchet-and-pawl mechanism connected with the said hand by which to secure the same at its different points of advancement, and the annuuciator consisting of the hammer connected with and operated by the said pawl, and the bell arranged to be struck by the said hammer as the pawl is moved, substan tially as set forth.

\VILLIAM B. ATKINSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. BAIRD, WILsoN BAIRD.

ICC 

